Michael Howley, parents were Thomas and Margaret, County Mayo

Tom:

Here is the 1872 civil birth record for the Michael Howley with parents Thomas Howley and Margaret Halligan.

https://civilrecords.irishgenealogy.ie/churchrecords/images/birth_returns/births_1872/03256/2193328.pdf

I'm confused regarding which marriage records you ordered. Thomas Howley and Margaret Halligan were married in 1860 before civil registration began for RC marriages.

Roger McDonnell

I ordered marriage records for Michael Howley and his wife, Margaret Howley (Gaughan). They were married in Winnipeg, Canada in 1911. This record identified the names of Michael Howley's parents. I just want to review these names to see if there could have been any error.

The 1921 census records from Canada indicated Michael was 47 years old, which would mean he was born in 1874. However, the 1911 census record showed he was 35. So, I realize determining his precise age from these records may be difficult. Everything suggests, though, that he was born in the 1870s.

I have been unable to find a connection between Thomas Howley (Michael's father) and Margaret Nolan. I'm wondering in "Nolan" may have been misspelled or if there is a different explanation.

Winnipeg census 1911, according to this record Michael was born September 1874   https://www.familysearch.org/ark:/61903/3:1:3QS7-898W-Q8RH?view=index&p…

See also https://www.familysearch.org/tree/person/details/GR2P-SB7 This record seems to match but date of birth is 1877

Thank you, Eileen. So much rests on the names of Michael's parents as they are identified on his marriage and death records. His marriage took place in Manitoba and I found this statement on their Vital Records website: 

'The database may also have records that contain incomplete, missing, or incorrect information that occurred during the data conversion project where information from paper registration forms were entered into the electronic database.'

I wonder if paper registration forms were kept.

I also wish there was somewhere else I could check for his mother's maiden name. Margaret Nolan hasn't shown up with a connection to any Howleys in Ireland.

I believe his record of Thomas Howley and Margaret Nolan are probably the correct names even though you are having difficulty finding certificates at present. It is easy to see and accept similar certs but if he says his mother's name  is Nolan than I would persevere . Do you know what area of Mayo he came from ? Many of our records were destroyed in a fire in the records office in 1922 which was a terrible loss to families trying to connect with their past but the government set up a free site which may help https://www.irishgenealogy.ie/en/  Do you know if he had any siblings ?   Did he have any children, sometimes the children's names are reflected in family names, just keep trying, when you least expect it , you will get lucky.

I really don't know what part of Mayo he was from - or for that matter, what part of Ireland. What initially led me to Mayo was a false lead. There was a Thomas Howley married to Anne Ward - they had three children: Michael, Thomas and Martin. This Michael was born August 2, 1873. I thought this was the right one, except for his mother's maiden name.

My grandfather had several children: Francis (my dad), James, Michael, Cecilia, Helen, and Mary Ann. Most of them were born in Canada (where Michael married his wife, Margaret Gaughan) and my dad and his sister Helen were born in Minnesota.

I'll keep trying!

This census record from Canada (1921) helps a lot: 1921 Census of Canada - Ancestry.com

He and his parents were definitely Irish. He was born in September and he was 47 in 1921. 

I'm wondering if there are immigration papers for his move to Minnesota (US) from Canada - and if they would identify his parents names. I know he was in Canada for the Census in 1921 and my dad was born in Minnesota in 1923. That narrows it down a bit.

I just found this - although it is not conclusive. If this is the right record, the name 'Margaret Nolan" may be due to a transcription error.

So far, from a Canadian Census, I know Michael Howley was 47 in 1921 and that he was born in the month of September. I also know, from 1911 Canadian marriage records, Michael Howley's father was Thomas Howley. Both Michael and his parents were born in Ireland. A lot of this lines up. What doesn't fit yet is the marriage record identifying Michael's mother as Margaret Nolan.

Mary Malley Howley in entry for Michael Howley, "Ireland Births and Baptisms, 1620-1881" • FamilySearch

I've identified the church where Michael Howley was married - Immaculate Conception In Winnipeg. I sent an email to inquire about their records. I'm concerned because I saw that the church had a fire in the 1970s. I'm hoping they didn't lose their records.

I received the marriage record from Immaculate Conception Church. It shows Michael's parents were Thomas Howley and Margaret Nolan, same as the death record.

Still no progress on locating a record of this marriage or Michael Howley's birth in Ireland.